Christmas dinner warning: Turkey could be in short supply as bird flu measures ramped up across Britain

Christmas turkeys could be under threat as bird flu continues to ravage UK poultry, a farmer has warned. Recent cases have been detected at properties in North Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and East Sussex, with fears the outbreaks could hit supplies - and prices - ahead of December 25.

Andrew Goodman, who works with turkeys at Goodman's Geese in Worcestershire, has told the BBC he fears Christmas dinners could "disappear" if the problem continues, with up to 10,000 birds being affected by a single outbreak.

"If we got it, all the birds would be slaughtered on the farm and then, with our free-range system, you're not allowed to restock for 12 months, which would mean no birds for Christmas next year," he said.

In a bid to prevent further spread of bird flu, authorities have extended compulsory housing rules for poultry from the North, Midlands and East of England to the whole of England from today (November 6).

There is an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone, requiring strict biosecurity and hygiene measures, already in force across the country with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) saying the measures will remain in place until further notice.

"Hopefully we will be alright. We'll do everything we can to prevent it," Mr Goodman said. "We're in a fairly good area, we haven't got a large body of water near us. So we haven't got that water fowl risk of coming onto the farm.

"It's frightening every time you come down in the morning to check the birds, you just think, 'Oh hell'. You learn to live with it but it does play on your mind quite a bit."

Great Britain is in an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ) which means, by law, keepers of poultry must follow strict biosecurity and hygiene rules to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading. Measures updated today (November 6) mean, in the AIPZ in England, there are mandatory housing measures keepers of birds must follow.

Anyone with more than 50 birds must house them, those with less than 50 birds which are for personal use only (for example eggs or meat will not be sold or given away) do not have to house them and anyone with less than 50 birds who do intend to sell or give away eggs, poultry products or live birds, must also house them.